New Patent Pool Takes on World Diseases

Last week, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), governments, non-profits, and pharmaceutical companies formed Re:Search with the intention of using the collective set of patents to fight tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases. The group includes the who’s-who of BigPharma: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Merck, and others. It may not be perfect, but the reception is generally positive. See IP Watch for more analysis.